A PLASTIC bag free high street, local currency and improved public transport are ideas being put forward to make Cobham the borough’s first environmentally friendly town.

During Transition Cobham’s first meeting at Church Gate House in Downside Bridge Road on Tuesday, ideas including a Cobham currency and a community garden were put forward to improve the area’s sustainability.

Similar groups have already been set up in Dorking, Ashtead, Farnham, and Kingston which has more than 900 members.

Speaking after the meeting, Stéphanie Jacometti, 29, founder of Transition Cobham, said a number of ideas are now being looked at.

“It is a voluntary and local initiative and the first meeting was about seeing if people are interested and what they would be interested in doing in terms of projects,” Ms Jacometti said.

“It is led by concerned citizens. What we are looking at is solutions and activities in response to climate change – how can we make our community more resilient?

“One thing we looked at doing is having a community food garden to grow some of our own food in.

“We also talked about plastic bags and seeing how we can stop using them and use the ones we have.”

The group also discussed introducing a local currency – something that has been done in some transition towns such as Lewes in East Sussex.

“It is very much a local thing,” she said.

“It’s about how we are living now and how we can use less. There are a lot of ideas but it was very much a first meeting.”

Sir Gerald Acher, chairman of Cobham Conservation and Heritage Trust, told the Surrey Advertiser he was excited by the ideas put forward at the meeting and his organisation would be supporting the initiative.

“The heritage trust is thrilled that Stéphanie has come forward to try and get some initiatives going in this vitally important area,” he said.

“We all want to see ourselves living more efficiently but sometimes it takes something to spur us on.

“There was a complete cross section at the meeting with different interests.”

Sir Gerald said the idea could bring Cobham residents closer together, with members of the community sharing skills and working together for a common cause.

“I look forward to using the River Mole to generate some electricity,” he added.

Alistair Mann, chairman of Cobham Chamber of Commerce, said his organisation would welcome the ideas put forward.

“I think from the chamber perspective we welcome involvement of anyone and everyone in developing the community of Cobham and Transition Cobham has some welcome ideas about this, from reducing waste and rubbish to improving the local area with a community garden,” he said.

“We would be pleased to discuss this in detail and we would also encourage the group members of Transition Cobham to talk to other established community groups like Cobham Heritage and Envisage, who will have similar ideas and motivation about making our community a better place to live and enjoy.

“The real point is that community is about people as well as place, more people being more involved is likely to make a better community for everyone. It’s real localism at work.”

Transition town groups have been set up all over the world, including 491 listed in Europe, 258 in the USA and 69 in Australia.

To find out more about Transition Cobham and getting involved, and to find out about future meetings, email transitiontowncobham@gmail.com.